Robbie Deans' Wallabies bubble well and truly burst tonight as the All Blacks handed the New Zealand-born coach his first defeat since taking the helm of the Australian side, 39-10, in his homecoming Test at Eden Park.
Injury-depleted New Zealand dominated Australia from the outset with a pinpoint kicking game, some smothering defence and lineout pressure allowing them to score four tries to one in front of a jubilant sell-out crowd of 46,000.
Deans had taken Australia to five-straight Test wins since assuming control in June, including a first-up win over his homeland in Sydney last weekend.
But the All Blacks returned to their clinical ways tonight after two straight losses, stretching their winning streak over the Wallabies at Eden Park to 10 games.
"It was almost a complete role reversal from last week," Wallabies captain Stirling Mortlock said.
"A week's a long time in rugby and they've proved that."
The Wallabies now need to win the remaining two Tests against New Zealand this year to win the Bledisloe Cup.
Bullocking prop Tony Woodcock got a first half double for the All Blacks, while Ma'a Nonu scored two in the second half and Dan Carter booted five penalties and two conversions.
For Australia, Adam Ashley-Cooper provided some hope with a first half try, which Matt Giteau converted after kicking an early penalty goal.
Leading 21-10 at halftime after scoring two tries to Australia's one, the All Blacks went further ahead four minutes after the break when Luke Burgess fumbled from a lineout and rampaging centre Nonu handled twice before scoring his side's third try.
Carter's conversion made it 28-10 and the Wallabies' winning streak under Deans was looking shaky.
The lead went out to 31-10 in the 57th minute when Carter slotted another penalty goal and, when George Smith was penalised, and roundly booed, for a 64th minute high shot on namesake Conrad Smith, the flyhalf's three points made it 34-10.
Nonu completed his double controversially in the final minute when he streaked down the left and appeared to lose control when planting the ball, but the try was awarded by TV match official Shaun Veldsman.
"It was a very good performance from the All Blacks," Deans told Fox Sports.
"They built pressure and profited from that, and didn't allow us to build pressure.
"They just grew in confidence and grew with momentum as the game went on. (They were) two different games."
Earlier, Giteau and Carter traded early penalty goals before the All Blacks flyhalf made it 6-3 with another in the 13th minute.
The pressure from the All Blacks' superb kicking paid off for the home side in the 20th minute when Woodcock got the first of his double, barging through a Giteau tackle close to the line.
The conversion made it 13-3 to the All Blacks.
They extended their lead to 18-3 four minutes later when Woodcock grabbed a ball deliberately tapped to him from the lineout by Ali Williams and easily charged over.
The Wallabies briefly settled and executed a sublime backline move in the 32nd minute for fullback Ashley-Cooper to touch down under the posts.
But the All Blacks were soon mounting the pressure again and Carter knocked another penalty goal over in the 38th minute for the 21-10 halftime lead.
New Zealand coach Graham Henry described the win as "very special" after both he and his team had come under immense pressure following back-to-back losses against South Africa and Australia.
"There's a bit of pressure off," Henry said.
"There's been a bit of pressure on the team and on the coaches, so they did well tonight, they came through."
Captain Richie McCaw added: "The boys have been hurting all week and wanted to put together a good performance.
"When you lose two in a row it's a question of how you get back on the horse. We've set the standard tonight."
NEW ZEALAND 39 (Ma'a Nonu 2, Tony Woodcock 2 tries Daniel Carter 2 cons 5 pens)
bt
AUSTRALIA 10 (Adam Ashley-Cooper try Matt Giteau con pen)
